Kmflett's Blog

Guinness, London Porter & the Cato St Conspiracy

Guinness have opened a brewery and tourist attraction in Covent Garden. Its been long delayed but is now open.

Guinness Open Gate Brewery London: Opening in Covent Garden

Fortunately there is an accomplished brewster Hollie Stephenson in charge of the beer and a London Porter will be brewed. The Open Gate site includes some of the buildings of one of the original London porter breweries, Combe.

As I note below Combe’s Porter may have had a role in one of the more dramatic events in London’s radical history

Martyn Cornell died earlier in the year, sadly just before his book on porter was published.

Whenever I wrote about porter- invariably in an historical context-Martyn would pop up and offer invaluable advice and knowledge. One exchange we had is extracted below. It relates to the Cato St Conspiracy in central London, the 205th anniversary of which is marked this year.

Martyn and his vast beer knowledge will be much ,missed

Apr 27, 2020 Martyn Cornell

Just put together a map showing the 25 biggest porter brewers in London in 1794. Particularly delighted to include Cratchrode Whiffing (Queen Street, Ratcliffe Cross, Limehouse, since you ask.) He was raided by the excise authorities in 1813, who found 2.5cwt of illegal additives

Apr 27, 2020 Keith Flett

did some incidental research recently on what all involved at Cato St(23rd Feb 1820) were drinking on the day. The answer, both conspirators & police appears to have been porter at the Horse & Groom opposite the hayloft

Martyn Cornell 27th April 2020

Three big porter breweries about equidistant from there, Meux in Tottenham Court Road, Combe in Covent Garden and Elliott (later Watney) in Pimlico